Spring-roller-blind apparatus.



PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907. w MoLARBN SPRING ROLLER BLIND APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOH TILED IAIL21, 1906.

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n u n u n casing. These I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPRING-ROLLER-rBLIND APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed March'Zl, 1905. Serial No. 251.261.

T0 aZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MoLAREN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Moorgate I/Vorks, Moorfields, London, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Roller-Blind Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spring-roller-blind apparatus of the kind used in railway and other carriages and steamships and wherein the blind is provided with a weight the tendency of which is to lower the blind and coil the spring, but which is prevented from doing this by means of a brake held against rotation in one direction by a ratchet or like device.

In practice such blinds are liable to be tampered with by passengers and others and, furthermore, accumulate dirt to such an extent as to render their use objectionable. In order to prevent blinds from being thus tampered with and to protect them from dirt, they have heretofore been frequently inclosed in casings or covers which envelop the blind mechanism and the blind, the latter passing through a slit in the bottom of the casings, however, have hitherto been of such a nature as to render it necessary to remove them before any adjustment of the mechanism, which in practice is sometimes necessary, can be effected.

The obj eot of this invention is to provide a cover which while affording the desired protection admits of the adjustment of the blind without removing the cover from its place.

According to my invention I provide acasing in which the blind is supported and the ends of which are formed with boxes containing the adjusting mechanism, the said boxes having covers the removal of which affords access to their interiors for effecting the desired adjustment; but which covers can only be removed by the use of a special key.

To enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of blind mechanism constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the end portions of the same drawn to a scale larger than that of Fig. 1. Fig, 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively end elevations of the left and right ends of the blind-casing, also to a larger scale than Fig. 1.

a is the blind-roller, which is in the form of a hollow cylinder or barrel and which is at the said spindle 9 being at its inner end connected to a disk or bearing within the roller (1,

so that the roller can rotate upon it.

i t" are brackets or casing ends in which the pivots c and h of the roller are respectively mounted, the said brackets being provided with recesses or boxes j j, into which the pivots c and h, respectively, project. The pivot c has on it a ratchet-wheel k, with which a pawl 7c that the pin 0 is held against rotation under the weight of the'blind or of a pull upon the blind. The other pivot it has upon it a ratchet-wheel Z, with which a pawl Z engages, which ratchet and pawl serve to retain the usual spring 9 at any desired degree of tension, said spring having its ends attached in the usual manner to the roller and pintle, respectively.

With this construction the desired degree of tension can be obtained by holding the shade to prevent the rotation of the roller and turning said pintle.

Each of the boxes i t is provided with a removable screw-cap 77, each of which is provided with suitable orifices to receive the prongs or projections of a suitable spanner or key of any well-known type to facilitate the removal of said caps.

m is the casing, which incloses the blind and which is provided with an opening or slot a, through which the blind can pass, the said casing being carried upon flanges formed upon the bracket for the purpose of receiving the said casing.

Although in the drawings I have represented the casing as being circular in section, it is to be understood that it may be of any other desirable section, the brackets or ends between which the said cover is carried being shaped to suit the particular casing which is used.

It is also to be understood that my invention is not limited to use with the particular blind mechanism shown, but that such mechanism is merely illustrated as an example of how the invention can be carried into practice.

engages in such a manner IIO In addition to the advantage before indicated-namely, that the adjustment can be effected without removing the casing my invention possesses the further advantage that it permits of the blind being adjusted before leaving the manufactory, so that any one without previous knowledge of the blind can fix the same with the assurance that it will work properly.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with brackets provided with recesses and shoulder portions, of a roller pr 0- vided with pintles extending through ori fices in said brackets and projecting into said recesses, a coiled spring connecting said roller to one of said pintles, said pintle being provided at its end with flattened portions, means for locking said pintle against rotation in one direction, removable caps for said recesses one of said caps being provided with an orifice through which the flattened end of said pintle is adapted to project and a casing constructed to fit around said roller and retained in position by the shoulders on said brackets, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with brackets provided with re cesses and shoulder portions, of a roller provided with pintles extending through orifices in said brackets and projecting into said recesses, the spring-winding pintle being provided at its end with flattened portions, re-

movable caps for said recesses one of said caps being provided with a depressed portion provided with an orifice through whlch the flattened end of said spring-winding pintle is adapted to roject, and a casing constructed to fit around said roller and retained in position by the shoulders on said brackets, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination with brackets provided with recesses and shoulder portions, of a roller rovided with pintles extending through ori ces in said brackets and projecting into said recesses, connections between the winding spring and one of said pintles, a brake and connections between the said brake and the other of said pintles, means located in one recess for preventing the spindle connected to the brake from turning in but one direction, means located in the other recess for locking said spring-winding pintle against rotation in one direction, said latter pintle being provided at its end with flattened portions, removable caps for said recesses, said caps being provided with key-engaging portions to facilitate their removal, one of said caps being provided with an opening through which said flattened portion of said spindle is adapted to project, a casing constructed to fit around said roller and be retained in position by said shoulder portions of said brackets, substantially as described.

WILLIAM MOLAREN. Witnesses:

H. DORRETI, W. J. WAY. 

